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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25957708">New Sparks Old Faces</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRealDanniX/pseuds/TheRealDanniX'>TheRealDanniX</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Spark and the Alpha [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Derek Hale is Not a Failwolf, Derek Hale is Stiles Stilinski's Anchor, Everybody Lives, Good Alpha Derek Hale, Lydia Martin &amp; Stiles Stilinski Friendship, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Not Beta Read, Post-Season/Series 02, Pre-Slash, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Tattooed Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:33:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25957708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRealDanniX/pseuds/TheRealDanniX</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Something was different about Stiles. Derek had noticed it after the situation with Gerard and the Kanima. It wasn’t just in the way the teen was acting. He held himself differently. He walked different. His smell was different. Even the buzzing energy Stiles carried with him was different. And it was driving Derek crazy. Especially since no one else seemed to notice.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Hale &amp; Stiles Stilinski, Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Lydia Martin &amp; Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Spark and the Alpha [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884157</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>709</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>New Sparks Old Faces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, I basically throw out cannon after Season 2 because I like Erica &amp; Boyd and their deaths frustrate me to no end. This was something that I wrote because I love the idea of Stiles being covered in a tattoo and it's even better when there's magic involved. Plus soft Derek caring about Stiles makes me happy. Hope y'all like it too.</p>
<p>Leave a comment and some Kudos if you do!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>            Something was different about Stiles. Derek had noticed it after the situation with Gerard and the Kanima. It wasn’t just in the way the teen was acting. He held himself differently. He walked different. His smell was different. Even the buzzing energy Stiles carried with him was different. And it was driving Derek crazy. Especially since no one else seemed to notice. Except that wasn’t exactly true. Lydia may have noticed, not that she would talk to Derek even if she had. Peter also may have noticed, but Derek wouldn’t have trusted him if he said anything anyways. The point was, Derek had noticed. Derek knew something was different. He didn’t want to confront Stiles directly, so he turned to his betas. He started with Erica.</p>
<p>            “Erica, have you talked to Stiles recently?” Derek asked. It was about a month after everything had settled down.</p>
<p>            “Sure,” Erica said. “We see him all the time. Except on Fridays. Then we only see him at school. What do you want with Batman, oh Alpha mine?” She grinned wickedly.</p>
<p>            “Is he acting differently?”</p>
<p>            “Not really. But Stiles has always done weird stuff.” Erica shrugged and walked away. Derek frowned. His next stop was Boyd. He cornered the stoic beta after training one day.</p>
<p>            “What’s going on with Stiles?” Derek asked.</p>
<p>            Boyd raised an eyebrow and frowned. “Nothing, boss.”</p>
<p>            “Are you sure?” Derek knew that Boyd and Erica had spent the most time with Stiles after their time in the Argent basement. They should be able to tell that something was different.</p>
<p>            Boyd nodded. “It’s just Stiles.” He shrugged, much like Erica had. Derek let him go. Maybe he was wrong. But, deep down, he knew he wasn’t. He just didn’t know what had changed. He tried asking Isaac after Boyd, but the young beta dismissed him. So did Scott. No one else seemed concerned by Stiles. Three months after he’d first noticed it, Derek gave in. He’d just have to talk to the teen himself. So, Derek snuck into Stiles’ room and waited. He hadn’t been there for a while and it surprised him how much had changed. The usual scatter of Lacrosse gear and schoolbooks had been replaced by ancient tomes and tools of the magic that Derek recognized from the witch that he and Laura had often visited while they were in New York. He could feel wards thrumming through the wood of the house. He could also hear Stiles in the bathroom, shower running. Derek considered leaving, unsure of his welcome. He heard the shower cut off and before he could make it back to the window, Stiles emerged from the bathroom, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. He froze when he saw the Alpha. Derek just stared at him, feeling his eyes getting wide. Because Stiles was different. Stiles had runes tattooed in blue ribbons wrapping around his arms and across his chest tying into a red triskele over his heart. The very center of the triskele was black. Every mark was practically buzzing with power, emitting a slight glow that made Stiles look a little ethereal. Derek opened his mouth, but nothing came out.</p>
<p>            “Uh, hi, Derek,” Stiles yelped. Derek still couldn’t say anything, eyes tracing the lines of runes over the lithe muscle of the other’s arms and chest. One trail of runes disappeared beneath the towel and Derek saw where they picked up on Stiles’ legs. Stiles crossed his arms over his chest, shrinking back on himself. “Right so, before you say anything, I know what it looks like and it wasn’t exactly on purpose. Well, okay it was, but it wasn’t. Lydia did the first one and the rest just sort of appeared. I meant to tell someone, but nobody seemed to notice so I figured I could keep it to myself until we needed it. Obviously, I was wrong, because you wouldn’t be here unless you noticed something. Or I guess, there may be a new threat. God, please tell there’s no new threat. I barely survived the last one and I’m not looking forward to the next one even though I know it’s coming and…”</p>
<p>            “Stiles!” Derek snapped. Stiles froze where he had been flailing his arms about during his ramble. “Put some clothes on and tell me what happened.”</p>
<p>            “Um, what?”</p>
<p>            “Clothes,” Derek ordered, pointing at the dresser. “Then you’re explaining.” Stiles did what he was instructed to, though it seemed to be more out of shock than anything else.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Three Months Earlier</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            Stiles yelped as he was thrown down the stairs. When he got his bearings, he could see Boyd and Erica strung up with duct tape and electrical tables. His first reaction was to try and get them down, reaching for Erica’s hands before he could think about it. The resulting shock reverberated through him and stayed, buzzing under his skin, even when he jumped back. Before he could do much else, he was joined in the basement by the murder grandpa himself and three other hunters, all of which looked far too excited for whatever was about to happen. One of them restrained Stiles, covering his mouth with duct tape too, while Gerard fucking monologued. Then they went after the betas. They used knives and high voltage tasers. Stiles screamed and tried to get them to turn their attention to him. He tried to protect Boyd and Erica. They were pack, after all. He broke free for a moment, thinking that maybe would bring enough attention to him to get them to stop the torture of his friends. It did, but it didn’t last long. One of the hunters jammed their taser into his gut and sent him convulsing on the floor. Before he could gather his wits or stop the involuntary jerking, he was zapped again. And again. He was vaguely aware of the betas crying and screaming after him when another of the hunters dragged him to his feet and pulled him out of the basement. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            He didn’t tell anyone exactly what happened in the basement. He dodged his dad’s questions. He thought he was in the clear until Lydia Martin showed up in his room. He could still feel the electric buzzing under his skin. Like it was building up. He managed to push it away in order to get Lydia to the showdown and save Jackson. Sorta. It’s after that when he felt it building again. Over the course of a week, it went from a buzzing to a burning and it started to feel like he was vibrating apart at the seams. Lydia noticed. She showed up in his room exactly one week after the mess at the warehouse. She gripped an old book in one hand and a suspicious-looking bag in the other. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “So, Allison and Scott told me the truth of Beacon Hills,” she started forcing her way in and slamming the door. Stiles’ dad isn’t home, so Stiles didn’t really understand why she bothered until she took a seat on his bed and started pulling things out of her bag. Strange looking ingredients, a mortar and pestle, and a tattoo gun. She fixed him with a fierce glare. “They told me everything. Including how you did magic at one point.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “It wasn’t really magic,” Stiles started. Lydia held up a hand cutting him off.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “Yes, it was. I checked with Deaton. The vet.” She frowned a bit like she couldn’t believe she’d had that kind of conversation with a man who continued to insist he was only a vet. Stiles could understand that. He often had that face after talking to Deaton. “I also talked to Erica and Boyd about what happened the night of the championship. I know what Gerard and his men did to you.” Stiles went to react, but, once again, Lydia stopped him. “I decided to research what a Spark was since that is what Deaton and Allison and Scott all called you and I owe you for what you tried to do for me and Jackson. What I found, quite frankly, scared me.” Lydia let out a shaky breath.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “What-uh, what did you find?” Stiles asked, wringing his hands. The burn under his skin was reacting to his anxiety and was the worse than it had ever been. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “That a Spark will react to their environment and absorb power as an instinctual stress response. That would happen, for example, if someone decided to use a high voltage taser on a Spark several times. After absorbing the power, a Spark will continue to compound the power until either they explode, or their controls kick in and they expel it. Controls that you do not have.” At that, she fixed him with another glare.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “How do you know I don’t have them?” Stiles asked, petulantly crossing his arms.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “Because the controls that you would need require a physical representation on your body. A tattoo. Which I know you don’t have. So, unless you want to explode, sit down and I’ll fix you.” She rose from the bed and gestured for him to take her place. She opened the book and laid it out in front of him. “You either need to choose one of these symbols or the symbol of a pack.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            Stiles examined the symbols on the page in front of him. None of them felt right. “What does it mean if I choose a pack symbol instead?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “I’m not entirely sure. I haven’t been able to look into this nearly as much as I would like since time is a factor. From the research I do have, it means that you’ll be bound to the pack, to the Alpha until one of you dies. They’re your anchor. It will be like a permanent pack bond for the wolves. Which is why I would suggest one of these instead.” She tapped the page. Stiles looked at them again, but it felt wrong and he couldn’t understand why.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “I want the pack,” Stiles declared.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            Lydia frowned at him but nodded. “Fine. Take off your shirt while I get this ready.” Stiles complied and managed to sit quietly while she mixed the strange ingredients for ink. “Derek’s your alpha, right?” she asked looking up at him from where she was preparing the tattoo gun. Stiles nodded. “Do you know the symbol for his pack?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “Yeah, uh, it’s a triskele.” Stiles looked away, thinking of the only other person he’d seen with that tattoo. Lydia nodded, not needing any more explanation. Then she started on the tattoo just over his heart. It took just over an hour for her to finish. Stiles was admiring her work when she shoved the book at him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “Read that line,” she ordered, pointing to a line of text below the various symbols. Thankfully for Stiles, it’s in Polish so he can pronounce it. When he’s done, the burning feeling focuses on the tattoo. Then it burns in lines across his chest, down his arms, his back, his legs. Then it’s gone and for the first time in a week, Stiles is buzz and burn free. Lydia is staring at him with wide eyes. “That’s a lot more power than I thought you’d have.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “They had illegally strong tasers, Lydia.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>            “No Stiles. This,” she gestured to where runes were now glowing brightly across his skin, “is all you. This would have happened after your eighteenth birthday anyway. They were just the catalyst.” It didn’t really make Stiles feel any better.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Three Months Later</strong>
</p>
<p>            “I’m your Alpha?” Derek asked staring openly at the runes he could still see snaking around Stiles’ arms.</p>
<p>            Stiles nodded. “Yeah, but it’s more than that. You and your pack are my anchor.” He still wouldn’t look at Derek. “Without this, I’d burn up. Literally.” He gestured vaguely to his chest where Derek knew the triskele was resting under his shirt. Derek nodded absently, not sure how to process it. He wanted to be angry at the secrecy and the danger Stiles had put himself in, but he couldn’t muster anger when Stiles had bound himself to Derek and his pack. “Lydia and I did a lot more research afterward, you know, and I don’t regret it. Even if you somehow lose your Alpha spark, you’ll still always be my alpha.” Stiles smiled a little.</p>
<p>            “Why?” Derek asked, hoping all his questions could fit into that little word. Hoping Stiles would understand what he wasn’t able to say.</p>
<p>            “Why I’d choose a pack symbol or why’d I’d choose your pack?” Stiles asked.</p>
<p>            “Both.”</p>
<p>            “It just felt right.” He let out a little chuckle. “Apparently that’s a big deal for Sparks. Our magic is mostly instinctual. It’s all based on imagination and will power. If something doesn’t feel right, it isn’t right, and trying to go against it is like one of you guys trying to ignore your wolf. It’s not easy and will most likely end badly.” Stiles shrugged. Derek watched the younger man. He was still young, but somewhere between Scott getting bitten and surviving Gerard’s assault he had grown up. He wasn’t a kid anymore. Stiles ducked his head under Derek’s gaze and Derek could see where the runes traced up his spine right to the base of his neck. “And you, you’re pack. I don’t know, dude. I mean, Scotty may not like you guys or like the fact that I’m hanging out with you all, but I never felt that way. At least not about your betas. I’m not above admitting there were several occasions where I thought you were a murderer, but I was wrong, and I have apologized for that.”</p>
<p>            Derek huffed a laugh. “Stiles.”</p>
<p>            “Yeah, yeah. I know I could have handled it better, but you were also not helping your case, creeping in windows, and living in abandoned buildings. Plus, the whole Sourwolf thing.” Stiles looked up with a wicked grin.</p>
<p>            “Don’t call me that,” Derek growled weakly.</p>
<p>            “So, what are you doing here Sourwolf?”</p>
<p>            Derek rolled his eyes. “You were acting weird,” he muttered, after a moment.</p>
<p>            “I always act weird,” Stiles defended.</p>
<p>            “Weirder.”</p>
<p>            “So, you could’ve have sent one of your betas.”</p>
<p>            He could feel Stiles looking at him as the tips of his ears went red. “They didn’t notice anything different. And I was worried.” He couldn’t bring himself to look at Stiles.</p>
<p>            “About me?” Stiles breathed. Derek nodded. “Why?”</p>
<p>            “‘cause I know you, Stiles, and you were acting strange,” Derek sighed. He rose from the bed and headed for the window. Stiles was staring at him with a strange expression. “Pack meeting tomorrow. You’re telling them about the magic.” Then Derek was out the window.</p>
<p>            “Hey!” Stiles yelped. Derek grinned a little, one he was sure Stile couldn’t see him. Stiles was different. He had been right. For now, that’s all that mattered. He was determined not to think about why he was the only one who noticed. He was the Alpha. He’s supposed to be aware of his pack. That was it. Right?</p>
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